Old-school analog

I watched the Martin Short documentary on Netflix and was struck by how all the old pictures looked. It wasn't just the aged quality, but also the style of the pictures.

Nowadays, cell phones make it easy to take multiple pictures and save only the best ones. Pre- and post-processing on the phone provides an instant, high-quality snap. Social media adds another element, pushing people toward higher quality so they can present only the best versions of themselves. Photography before cell phones and digital cameras was quite different.

I took a photography class in high school and learned how to take pictures and develop film. Taking pictures was a much slower process back then. You snapped the pictures and had to trust that you captured what you wanted. Those who didn't want to wait could use a Polaroid camera that delivered an instant print that developed right before your eyes. 

Gary V said he's betting on a pendulum swing back to analog, and the documentary gave me an idea for an app. Imagine a photo app that limits you to a specific number of photos, as if you were shooting on film. Once you complete a "roll," the app sends the pictures to a print shop, and they mail you the prints. It would certainly change how people take photos, and I wonder whether there is an audience for this throwback approach.